Letter to the Editor: Forests in decline

Now after the fact, regarding our forests, what we are now seeing is the handiwork of the radical extreme environmentalists and the end results of their frivolous appeals. Actually what you are seeing is their version of how our forests should be managed, so what you see is the end results of their stupidity.

Suggestion: the forest service should select an area where all trees are dead, with the intention to clear cut every dead tree standing. Advertise any trees that can produce lumber for sale free. Require that all trees be limbed where they are felled. Those trees too small to make lumber and too big for the shredder should be cut up and sold for fire wood. Then follow through with a shredder, chop all limbs and any other trees too small for sale. They also must be shredded. Spread the clippings all over the forest floor. They will control weeds and trash brush and erosion.

Then mark the area off check row method as in orchards. Then advertise the forests as Eagle Scout Projects requiring three scouts working together to plant young trees. The forest service provides the trees using wood pegs in the ground where the tree is to be planted. One scout digs holes, another scout plants the young tree and covers the hole, the third scout with a three gallon back mounted sprayer follows behind and waters the newly planted tree. Each project should consist of 300 young trees. When scouts have completed their major project to earn their eagle badge, the forest supervisor can provide their scout master with a letter of approval.

There are several hundred boy scouts in Utah that would jump at the chance to participate in this project to earn their Eagle badge, and our forests would be on the way back to what they once were, 30 years ago.